Mechanical Behaviour of Materials — IV is a collection of papers dealing with engineering issues of the strength of materials, solid mechanics, and materials science. One paper analyzes the growth of subcritical cracks subject to cyclic stresses as a result of fatigue or material microstructure. Another paper shows the retention of maximum strength of some aircraft parts which have been in service for up to 20 years, and subjected to stress and exposure cycles, due in part to the usage of high quality surface paint. One paper discusses the regularities in deformation and failure of structural steels and alloys at cryogenic temperatures under conditions of static and cyclic (low-cycle) loading. The paper shows that the type of stress is evident in materials which lose their plastic properties as the temperature decreases. The materials parameters that affect plastic instability and sheet formability are strain hardening, strain rate sensitivity, and plastic anisotrophy. Experiments indicate the importance of stress state, large strains, and path changes on the strain hardening response and subsequent stability of the material. Another paper describes the relationship between microstructure and hydrogen embrittlement in aspects of fracture mechanics, as well as the correlation between hydrogen embrittlement and carbon equivalent. The collection can prove valuable for structural engineers, materials engineers, design engineers, and investigators involved in the study of the strength of materials.
